President Trump speaks to reporters before departing for a trip to Iowa, on the South Lawn of White House, Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Washington.

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3 months ago

Trump Accidentally Reveals 'Secret' Mexico Deal

Newser — Rob Quinn

President Trump again claimed to have a "secret" deal with Mexico on Tuesday—and while he declined to provide details for reporters at the White House, he helpfully displayed a piece of paper that he said was part of the agreement.

A photo tweeted by Washington Post photographer Jabin Botsford shows that the document contains references to "a regional approach to burden-sharing in relation to the processing of refugee status claims to migrants" and plans to designate Mexico a "safe third country" for refugees.

The document said Mexico had agreed to "take all necessary steps under the domestic law" to bring the agreement into force within 45 days if the US determined after a previous 45-day period that earlier measures in the "Joint Declaration" had "failed to address the the flow of migrants to the southern border of the United States."

The document—which Trump said was part of a "very long and very good" secret agreement with Mexico—largely contained details that had already been revealed Monday by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, the BBC reports.

Ebrard said Tuesday that the "safe third country" move, a longstanding US demand to have migrants traveling through Mexico claim asylum there instead of the US, will be considered by Mexican lawmakers if its measures to control the flow of people fail to work, reports the New York Times.

"Safe third country could be applied if we fail, and we accept what they say," said Ebrard, who read from a letter he had sent to the Mexican Senate.